The invention relates to a removable motor vehicle seat, and more particularly, to a removable motor vehicle seat having a locking mechanism for locking and/or unlocking the vehicle seat to the vehicle floor.
Vehicle seats which can be easily removed by the user are becoming increasingly preferred and are known per se. The DE 44 04 935 A1 describes just such a device for connecting a vehicle seat to the bearing elements on the vehicle floor. A locking device thereby displaces the vehicle seat during unlocking into a removal position whilst during installation of the seat the locking device is first transferred into a release position and then into a locking position. A simple fitting or dismantling is readily possible through suitable locking and unlocking devices and bearing elements.
Within the scope of improving comfort and safety electrically or pneumatically operated components are integrated to an increasing extent into the vehicle seat. Examples of this are the electric seat adjustment, seat heating, seat occupancy detection, speakers in the head rests or airbags installed in the back rest.
In order to remove a vehicle seat equipped with such components first the electric or pneumatic connecting elements have to be separated in order not to damage the leads. This is tiresome since several separate hand actions are necessary. Furthermore a functionally reliable contacting is not guaranteed since after inserting a seat connecting the contacts of the plug can be overlooked.
From EP A 0 558 408 a vehicle seat of the generic type is known which has an electrically operable locking mechanism with a connector element which is secured in a connector socket on the vehicle floor through a contact mechanism. A functionally reliable connection is not ensured for electric or pneumatic components of the seat.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a removable vehicle seat which with a simple construction ensures a functionally reliable connection or disconnection of the electric and/or pneumatic components of the motor vehicle seat during installation or dismantling. In particular, it is desired that the connection of the connector elements take place automatically and without any faulty handling by the user as the seat is fitted or dismantled.
By providing a contact mechanism for connecting or disconnecting a connector element and automatically coupling the contact mechanism to a locking mechanism so that removal or insertion of a vehicle seat takes place in at least two chronologically successive phases, it is possible to achieve a functionally reliable connecting or disconnecting of electrical or pneumatic components. The user does not have to worry about making the connection since this is done automatically without any danger of faulty handling.
The fact that removal or installation of the vehicle seat takes place in at least two chronologically successive phases, in which in one phase the connector element is exclusively connected or disconnected, and in the other phase the motor vehicle seat is exclusively locked or unlocked, ensures that the electric or pneumatic connections between the vehicle seat and another vehicle component do not become damaged as the seat is removed or installed. Before unlocking and removing the seat, the connector element through which the seat and other vehicle components are connected electrically and/or pneumatically is first automatically disconnected. In reverse, when installing the seat, a connection can only be made after the seat has become securely locked.
The installation and/or dismantling of a seat is thereby carried out in a simple manner since only the operating element has to be swivelled or moved so that the seat is ready for dismantling. In addition the solution according to the invention reduces the costs of the production and repairs of motor vehicles since the assembly is simplified, the assembly time is shortened, and the functionally reliable handling minimises any costs incurred through damage to incorrectly positioned connector elements.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least two chronologically successive phases of the removal or installation of the vehicle seat are controlled and triggered through corresponding operating phases of the operating element. Only one operating element has to be handled for dismantling or installing the seat. The at least two chronologically successive phases are preferably triggered by an at least two-phase swivel movement of the operating element, either about the same swivel axis or about different swivel axes, alternatively through one swivel movement and one linear movement, alternatively through two linear movements of the operating element. Through the swivel and/or linear movements of the operating element, swivel and/or linear movements in the contact mechanism are triggered which lead to a connection/disconnection or locking/unlocking.
In a further development of the invention four chronologically successive phases are run through overall during the removal of the vehicle seat, namely
a) in the first phase an existing contact play of the connector element in the interface is passed through;
b) in the second phase the connector element is disconnected
c) in the third phase a safety clearance of the unlocking action is passed through and
d) in the fourth phase the vehicle seat is unlocked from the vehicle floor.
In a preferred advantageous embodiment of the invention the locking mechanism has on each seat rail at least one locking part which can be brought into engagement with an associated fixing part on the vehicle floor. At least two locking parts of the two seat rails are thereby connected together through a coupling element so that only one operating element is required to lock all the locking positions. The contact mechanism has means for attaching or releasing the connector element at the interface. The locking parts and the means for inserting or releasing the connector element are both coupled to the operating element for triggering the relevant functions, with blocking means being provided so that, depending on the movement phase of the operating element, only a locking/unlocking or a connection/disconnection action can take place.
In a further development of this embodiment the coupling element is capable of moving both in rotation and also in translation and is fixedly connected through a follower to the connector element whereby in a first movement phase of the operating clement the coupling element is moved in translation and through a follower a disconnection/connection of the connector element takes place, and in a second movement phase of the operating element the coupling element is turned and the locking parts are thereby swivelled and the seat unlocked or locked. In this embodiment, when interacting with the operating element the coupling element engenders both the disconnection and unlocking.
The coupling element is preferably designed as a rod linkage since in this way both torque and shear forces can be reliably and easily transferred.
In order to ensure that, depending on the movement phase of the operating element solely a locking/unlocking or connection/disconnection takes place, in a preferred variation during the disconnection phase a rotation of the coupling element and thus an unlocking of the seat is prevented through a fixed blocking element against which the follower is supported until the disconnection is completed. By way of example, a fixing bolt which is already provided on the vehicle floor can be used as the blocking element.
As an alternative or an addition, during a locking/unlocking or connection/disconnection action, each other process is blocked in that the degree of freedom of movement of the operating clement associated with each other phase is blocked through blocking elements, such as projections etc, mounted in the region of the operating element.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention spring means are provided in active connection between the operating element and the connector element to produce a pretensioning force on the connector element so that it connects in the interface. The connector element is thus always held in the contact position. This, on the one hand, prevents vibrations loosening the contact connection and on the other ensures a secure connection as the seat is installed.
In an advantageous development of the invention, the active connection between the operating element and connector element is simply produced through a draw means, such as for example, a draw cable or chain, connected to the operating element. As a variation, a rod linkage is provided to transfer the forces.
In a further development of the invention the operating lever is guided in a slide guide so that the operation of the operating lever in the first movement phase from a certain point no longer leads to further disconnection of the connector element, but only to a displacement of the operating lever in the slide guide. The remaining swivel movement of the operating element then serves to initiate the unlocking of the seat on the vehicle floor. During assembly of the seat, once the seat is locked the operating lever is drawn back by the tensile force of the spring means in the slide guide, which is accompanied by the connection of the connector element.
In a further preferred variation of the invention, an active connection between the operating element and connector element takes place not through the coupling element which couples the locking parts of the seat rails, but directly through a Bowden cable which is connected to the operating element. This saves space for the linear movement of the coupling element and avoids expensive bearing systems for the linear movement. The cable of the Bowden cable unit is thereby preferably suspended directly from the connector element. The end of the Bowden cable on the connector element side is supported on the seat rail or on another part fixed on the seat. A pretensioning force is preferably created by a compression spring which is supported on a collar at the end of the Bowden cable and on the connector element and endeavours to press the connector element into the associated socket.